New York is the state the spends the most money on dating services, a new study has shown.
The new report by Slotsup, an online betting platform, found that New York spends $0.74 per capita on dating apps, while the national average across the U.S. is $0.40.
Dating apps are popular in the U.S., with three in 10 American adults saying they have used a dating platform, and more than 40 percent saying they found the services have made dating easier for them, according to Forbes.
Commenting on its findings, the Slotsup report wrote that this showed New York had “a strong interest in facilitating romantic connections.”
Massachusetts, New Jersey, and Connecticut were other states that spend a higher amount on dating platforms and services, according to the findings in Slotsup’s 2024 Dating Services Expenditure Report.
Although America’s capital, Washington, D.C., alone spends almost double the amount spent by the top-paying state at $1.33 per capita.
While those states were more invested in dating services, West Virginia spent the least amount of money than any states in the U.S., at $0.24 per capita.
This suggested the state had a “more modest approach to seeking professional matchmaking assistance,” the report said.
It added that the findings illustrated a “preference for traditional or alternative ways of finding love in the Mountain State.”
Mississippi, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Kentucky were other states that spent the least on dating platforms.
The prevalence of dating apps grew with the introduction of Tinder in 2012, followed by the likes of Bumble and Hinge.
The preference of dating apps also varies across the U.S. with one study showing that Tinder was a favorite in a number of states, while Christian Mingle was preferred in more religious states and Bumble was the app of choice in Massachusetts, Missouri, and Oregon.
Discussing the use of dating apps with Newsweek, Washington, D.C.-based clinical therapist Melinda McGarvey said, “As a couples therapist, the biggest thing that came to mind for me is that the clients I’ve worked with who have been most honest and specific about what they are seeking seem to have much more success.”
She added that some people want to “keep options open, not rule people out too soon and not seem ‘weird.'”
McGarvey called this strategy “marketing to the masses” and said it was one of the possible difficulties with navigating dating platforms.
“I think it can make it hard for them to stand out in the dizzying array of profiles, and hard for someone who may be a great match for them to identify the unique things they may connect with,” she said.
Dating apps appear to have a high success rate in helping people find romance, as Forbes found that almost 70 percent of individuals who met someone on a dating app in the U.S. said that it led to a romantic, exclusive relationship.
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